The Columbus Crew will host Orlando City SC on Wednesday evening (7 p.m. ET / Paramount+, CBS Sports Network) in the first of two U.S. Open Cup Semifinals as both sides look to take another step toward a second Open Cup title. Boasting a pair of heavily refreshed rosters since the tournament kicked off back in March, both Columbus and Orlando approach the Semifinal with restored intensity.
The Crew reached the Semifinals for the first time since 2010 after blitzing through a pair of third-division USL League One sides in the Richmond Kickers—1995 Open Cup champions—and One Knoxville SC—defending League One title-winners—before shutting out New York City FC in the Quarterfinals just before the FIFA World Cup break. League play has been a struggle for the Crew, as the MLS originals currently sit 13th in the Eastern Conference and have lost all but one of their last eight fixtures across all competitions.
For Orlando, the club snuck past FC Naples in the Round of 32, survived a thrilling back-and-forth affair against the New England Revolution in Rhode Island, and throttled rivals Atlanta United FC in the Quarterfinals. The Lions have turned things around since the World Cup break. In 13 MLS and Leagues Cup matches, Orlando has put together a 7W-3L-3D record, most recently stretching its unbeaten streak to five with a 3-0 victory against Toronto FC over the weekend.
Since returning to action in late July, it’s been a mixed bag for the Crew. Columbus went 1W-1L-1D in league play before Leagues Cup, defeating “Hell is Real” derby foe FC Cincinnati and posting a 2-2 draw against Inter Miami, while falling to NYCFC. August was less kind, however, as the Crew lost five consecutive matches to close out the month. Off the pitch, Columbus has been active in the transfer market, adding Eric Bailly, Brais Méndez, Gonzalo Tapia, Josef Martínez and Brooks Lennon, hoping to offset the departures of Diego Rossi, Max Arfsten and outgoing loan of top Open Cup goalscorer Hugo Picard.
Orlando City has found its footing since the World Cup break, bolstered by the summer arrivals of former French World Cup champion and Atlético Madrid all-time leading scorer Antoine Griezmann and former U.S. Men’s National Team striker Daryl Dike. Griezmann already has nine goals and three assists across all competitions, while Dike scored twice in August. Martín Ojeda has followed up his career-best 20-goal 2025 with 11 goals across his first 15 league matches, while 19-year-old Homegrown talent Justin Ellis has tallied three goals and a team-best 10 assists. Defensively, Orlando added Brazilian left back Vinícius Nogueira on loan to help shore up a back line that has allowed the second-most goals in the league (56), while Griffin Dorsey has contributed a career-high five goals. Captain and all-time appearances leader Robin Jansson has also returned from foot surgery that sidelined him earlier this year.
In the all-time series between Columbus and Orlando, the Lions maintain an 11W-9L-6D advantage across all competitions and have not lost to the Crew since 2024. Usually clashing in league play, the pair have faced off in elimination matches on two previous occasions: a 2015 Open Cup Round of 16 match in which Kaká netted the winner for Orlando, and a 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinal contest that featured the Crew snatching the win in extra time following a scoreless opening 90 minutes.
Despite a tough regular season, the Crew are two wins away from their fifth trophy in six years. They’ve progressed to the Open Cup Semifinals for the first time since 2010 and are looking to become just the eighth MLS side to win the tournament on multiple occasions, having last lifted the trophy in 2002. For Orlando, the Lions have firmly solidified themselves as perennial Eastern Conference contenders since making the jump from the USL Championship in 2015. An Open Cup title would represent the club’s seventh trophy and first since winning the Open Cup in 2022. The winner of Wednesday’s contest will host the 2026 U.S. Open Cup Final on Oct. 21 against either the Colorado Rapids or St. Louis CITY SC.
